Downey's stellar career at USC winding down

COLUMBIA -- Catch him while you can.

Devan Downey's special South Carolina basketball career is winding down.

In time, he'll join the pantheon of Gamecocks greats. For now, though, you can still see him, live and in garnet.

The Southeastern Conference's top scorer, and arguably its most dynamic player, will play his final regular season home game tonight against Alabama.

"To anybody that's watched, he's a special individual player that's capable of doing some unbelievable things," said South Carolina coach Darrin Horn, who's worked with Downey the past two seasons. "I know he's fun for me to watch, so I know he's been incredible for the fans.

"So many nights he's done so many different things. I don't know that you'll see a guy again, especially at his size, that's capable of the things he's done."

Downey, of Chester, is one of five Gamecocks seniors that will be recognized before tonight's tipoff.

Augusta's Dominique Archie, Lithuanian Evka Baniulis, Charlotte's Brandis Raley-Ross and Chapin's Robert Wilder are the others who will be honored. Archie has been out since November after tearing a knee ligament, and he plans to seek a sixth season.

The Gamecocks could still return to Colonial Life Arena to host an NIT game or two, but there's a chance this could be your last chance to see Downey up close.

Downey's college career began at Cincinnati. After Downey had a strong freshman season, coaching turmoil left him looking elsewhere. The opportunity to return home appealed.

"Coming back, it really showed me that playing for your home state team really means something," he said. "I just hope kids now follow the trend."

To that end, two of the top 2010 signees, Bruce Ellington (Berkeley) and R.J. Slawson (Fort Dorchester), are both Lowcountry kids.

They'd be wise to look to Downey's example of how to build upon a foundation of talent.

Raley-Ross says he remembers the Downey who first arrived at South Carolina.

He was good, sure, but he was also angry.

"He was a firecracker. He was mean," said Raley-Ross, who had played against Downey in high school. "He had no pity for anybody. He kicked our butts.

"The first time playing with him, he was yelling at me. I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I've got to deal with this guy?' "

That feeling quickly subsided. Thankfully for the Gamecocks, Downey inflicted most of his damage on opponents. He matured rapidly. At 5-9, he was the team's biggest presence -- even during the redshirt year, as he was posted on the sideline.

"I could write you a 10-page paper about it," Raley-Ross said. "The guy's an unbelievable player, but as a friend and person off the court ... he's made so many strides."

Look no further than this season to see that. After the loss of Archie and Mike Holmes, Downey elevated his already-special game to another planet.

He was averaging more than 30 points a game in conference play through the first half of the season or so.

Downey has come back down, but he's still putting up 25 points a game in SEC play and 22.5 for the season.

Downey is third in the country in steals, with 2.8 a game. He's three steals away from the school record -- and he's set it in just three years.

Fans will always look back to Downey willing the Gamecocks to the Jan. 26 upset of then-No. 1 Kentucky, the first time the program had ever beaten a No. 1.

"I want to be known as someone who put it on the line in every game," he said.

Beyond the ceremonial aspect, South Carolina (14-14, 5-9 SEC) needs a victory against the Tide (14-14, 4-10). USC has lost five consecutive games, and with only a trip to Vanderbilt and next week's SEC Tournament in Nashville, another loss could cripple even the team's opportunity to play in the NIT.

Alabama will be without JaMychal Green (14.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg), who was suspended by coach Anthony Grant.

The Gamecocks loss Saturday at home against Mississippi State might not have been the most lopsided loss of the season, but Horn seemed to take it personally.

He said some players "disrespected the game and university" in the 76-63 loss.

"We played like a team that didn't think winning was important and thought we were going to lose," Horn said. "I'm telling you, we're not going to have that. That's not going to be a part of what our program is about."

"I would expect that we see a team that plays really hard (tonight), or I'll find individuals that can play really hard."

Downey would seem to qualify.

He's not perfect, but you'll have a difficult time convincing anyone that he doesn't think his team, even if it's .500, can win every night out.

Horn has often credited Downey's heart, and that heart is obvious by watching the sort of engine Downey houses in his slight frame.

Asked a few weeks ago when, because of his size, he learned to create his own shot, he snapped his head around: "When I was 10."

Downey has always had a slight chip on his shoulder, as Raley-Ross noted. But he's figured out, and mostly since he's been at USC, how to balance that drive with an air of leadership.

"I learned a lot," he said. "The ups and downs I've been through here, I'm ready for anything the world can throw at me. I've grown in every aspect."

The only thing missing from his resume at USC is an NCAA berth. At 14-14, it's not going to happen the at-large way.

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But it's very Downey to think it would happen the difficult way, through the SEC Tournament.

You know what he's thinking, because he says it all the time: South Carolina can beat anyone on any given night. And he's going to be the best player on the floor, no matter the opponent.

Reach Travis Haney at thaney@postandcourier.com, check out the Gamecocks blog at postandcourier.com/blogs/gamecocks.

Alabama at South Carolina

WHEN/WHERE: 7 p.m., Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, S.C.

TV: ESPNU

RADIO: WTMA 1250-AM

SOUTH CAROLINA (14-14, 5-9 Southeastern)

HEAD COACH: Darrin Horn (35-24 in second year at South Carolina)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Devan Downey, 5-9, sr. (22.5 ppg, 3.6 apg); G Brandis Raley, 6-1, sr. (11.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg); F Sam Muldrow, 6-9, jr. (10.1 ppg, 3.1 bpg).

NOTES: Freshman Lakeem Jackson appears to be coming alive offensively. He's scored in double figures in four of his past five games. Interestingly, he's scored the first basket in nine of South Carolina's games. Same for Muldrow. ... Another freshman, Ramon Galloway, had 14 points in the Mississippi State game. ... Upperclassmen Evka Baniulis and Austin Steed didn't play in that game. Horn said he was going with the younger, hotter hands and neither player seemed to fit into the plans with the Bulldogs employing a smaller lineup.

ALABAMA (14-14, 4-10 Southeastern)

HEAD COACH: Anthony Grant (14-14 in first year at Alabama)

PLAYERS TO WATCH: G Mikhail Torrance, 6-5, sr. (15.5 ppg, 3.4 rpg); F Tony Mitchell, 6-6, fr. (8.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg); G Anthony Brock, 5-9, sr. (6.0 ppg, 1.9 rpg).

NOTES: This will be Columbia's first in-person look at Grant, the former Florida assistant who was among the choices for the job Horn eventually got. ... Grant's tenure is off to a tough start. Suspensions have been relatively prevalent lately, as Grant tries to set the tone. JaMychal Green (14.8 ppg, 7.2 rpg) will not make the trip, and junior guard Senario Hillman might also miss the game. ... Collectively, the teams have lost eight consecutive games.

-- Travis Haney